October 2011
October 2011
It is the small things, the off-hand comments that catch me short and put this work in perspective. Last week, we celebrated graduation at Depaul House. Every six months, we have a special dinner to celebrate the guys who have successfully completed our program and moved on to independent living. It is always a memorable night. We award framed certificates indicating the successful completion of the program. There are speeches and heartfelt testimonials to staff and residents. Last week, at the end of dinner, one of the graduates got up to leave. A tablemate called out, "Don't forget your certificate!" The graduate scooped it up off the table and said, "I won't now that I have a wall to hang it on!"
"A wall to hang it on." I do not know about you, but I don't think of walls very often. I might wonder what color to paint them or, on certain days, how to escape them. Generally, however, I don't accord them much thought. Not the guys at Depaul House. For them, a wall of your own is a sign, real and hard that you are on your own, on the path to self-sufficiency. Graduation night was a reminder once again of how much I take for granted and how objects of everyday life can become hope-filled sign posts on the journey forward.
The journey, however, is often filled with setbacks. In this newsletter, we break with tradition. Instead of highlighting a recent success in our resident profile, we focus on the challenges Depaul House residents face when attempting to exit homelessness. These challenges make graduation nights that much sweeter.
Elsewhere in this newsletter you can read about our progress in opening Daybreak in Macon and our upcoming basketball tournament. We continue to move forward on many fronts. Consistent with the theme of challenges, however, securing funding for our underlying operating costs remains difficult. We will soon be mailing our annual appeal letters. I ask that you give as generously as you can so Depaul USA can continue to serve others and help the homeless experience the comfort that walls can provide.
All the Best,
Chuck Levesque
